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Cape Town - On Saturday at Ellis Park, veteran Springbok hooker Schalk Brits delivered a performance that showed why he is rated so highly by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Now 37, Brits was instrumental in the Bulls' 30-12 win over the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.

It was the first time the Lions have lost a home Super Rugby derby in four years, and another strong indication that the Bulls are on the right track under new coach Pote Human.

Eyebrows were raised last year when Erasmus lured Brits out of retirement, but performances like Saturday's suggest that the former Saracens man might have a role to play at this year's Rugby World Cup in Japan.

"I just push as hard as I can. I look in the mirror and if I didn't push hard enough then I have a word with myself," Brits said after the match.

"I just want to go out and do as much as I can. Sometimes it goes well and sometimes it doesn't. I don't fear losing or failing, but I fear not trying my best and not being physical. As a small hooker, I enjoy the fronting up part.

"Actually, I don’t want to show anything."

For Brits, playing rugby again is about making the most of the time he has left on the field and sharing knowledge with the younger players around him.

"For me, it has always been about having fun. If you go way back, everyone always said I should prove to Jake (White, former Bok coach) that I should be in the team. It was never about that. It is about having fun with my teammates. If you win, then you win, if you lose, you lose.

"Even now, I am going to have a beer with Malcolm Marx.

"I want to bring the old school and professionalism together. People can’t lose that essence. You fight hard on the pitch and afterwards, you have fun.

"It has never been about proving anything to coach (Pote Human) or to Polly (Handré Pollard). It is actually earning respect and having fun."